Liquid storage and handling system



April 7, 1942. H. L. ALEXANDER arm. 2,278,906

LIQUID S TQRAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEM Original Fi ledvAug. 51, 1935 IN VEN TORS 1!- L ALEXANDER HJ DUPONT AND BY W.B. F0

ULKE

' T ('JRNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 LIQUID STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEM Henry L. Alexander, Wilmington, and Hubert I. du Pont Rockland, Del., and Willing B. Foulke,

1 Media, Pa., assignors to Delaware Chemical Engineering and Development Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Original application August 31, 1936, Serial No. 98,819, new Patent No. 2,150,899, dated March 21, 1939. Divided and this application March 20,1939, Serial'No. 263,080

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-78) This invention relates to an improved system for storing and handling liquids. Although this improved system is particularly adapted for ;use in conjunction with mineral separation apparatus employing flotation principles and utilizing a heavy or parting liquid, such as that disclosed in our earlier copending application Serial No. 255,014 filed February '7, 1939, now Patent No. 2,151,578, issued March 21, 1939, it is not restricted to such use but is of utility wherever liquids are to be stored or handled, such, for example, as where one component is to be separated from a mixture of liquids and that component transferred to a storage vessel designed particularly for receiving it or for utilizing it in the performance of operations utilizing flotation principles.

Our improved liquid storage and handling system utilizes two storage tanks, interconnected by means adapted to measure quantities of liquid transmitted from one tank to the other. In installations such as that shown in our copending patent application, Serial No. 98,819, filed Aug. 31, 1936, now Patent No. 2,150,899, issued March 21. 1939, of which this is a division, one of these tanks may be utilized for storing liquids such as heavy parting liquid which has been recovered by liquid recovery systems, while the other tank may be utilized for the storage of new heavy or parting liquid added to the system for replenishment i:

purposes. In order to determine the amount of new liquid transferred from one tank to the other, and thus added for replenishment purposes to the system, we provide a meter gauge or similar measuring device between the two tanks.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to develop an improved apparatus and system for the storage and handling of liquids, which system is particularly adapted, although not necessarily restricted, to the handling of heavy parting liquid in conjunction with a mineral separation apparatus employing flotation principles such as that disclosed in our copending application. A further object of this invention is to incorporate metering or measuring means between the interconnected storage reservoirs or tanks so that the amount of replenishment liquid introduced into a system may be accurately gauged and determined. Further objects of this invention include the provision of piping means in communication with the storage reservoirs or tanks in order to transmit a desired liquid, such as heavy or parting liquid, to a desired location in a general system such as to the inlet chamher of a mineral separation apparatus employing flotation principles. As part of these last named objects may also be included the provision of communicating conduits for transporting liquids between the storage apparatus and the condensers, separation apparatus, etc., all constituting parts of a complete liquid recovery system. These and still further objects of our invention will be apparent from the ensuing disclosure ofa preferred embodiment thereof.

While our invention will be described with reference to certain rnineral separation apparatus and accompanying and auxiliary equipment, such as that shown in our copending application, it should 'be'remembered that this is merely an illustrative utilization of our improved equipment. In other words, although for purposes of clarity our invention may best be described in conjunction with our mineral flotation apparatus as described in our copending application Ser. No. 98,819, now Patent No. 2,150,899, issued March 21, 1939, the liquid storage and handling systems herein described are of general utility whereever the problem of liquid recovery, storage and transference to desired objectives is encountered. Referring morespecifically to the drawing, Fig. l constitutes a schematic diagram of our improved liquid storage, metering and liquid handling equipment. Fig. 2 is an. isometric view showing the apparatus constituting our improved system and the related equipment with which it would be incorporated in a mineral separation system employing flotation principles.

In the drawing, the numeral 9 represents a condenser in which vaporized liquid may be condensed. Such vaporized liquid would be the liquid which is designed to be handled in our liquid storage system, which liquid might be the heavy or parting liquid utilized in mineral separation apparatus utilizing flotation principles for the separation of minerals. The condensate flows through pipe line ll to a cooler 95 and then through water separator 96. This water separator, of a conventional type well known in the art, separates by gravity separation the heavy liquid present in the condensate from water contained therein. The water is removed through the outlet marked water, while the heavy liquid flows outwardly from the bottom of the element 96.

The separated heavy liquid, or any other liquid which is to be stored and handled, is then carried throughpipes 96! and 962 to the new liquid storage tank 963 or to the used liquid storage tank 964, as may be desired. The numeral 955 represents a vent pipe connecting the used liquid storage tank 964 with the new liquid storage tank 933. New liquid storage tank 963 is provided with vent 955. In pipe lines 952 and 96l there are provided valves VIZ and W3 so that the flow from the water separator 96 to either of the two tanks 963 and 954 may be controlled at will.

For replenishing in the system any desired quantity of liquid, such as heavy or parting liquid utilized in the fioation chamber of a mineral separation apparatus, there is provided meter gauge 99?. This meter gauge is positioned in a conduit 12 leading between tanks 993 and 964. As shown, valves VIB and VII are provided in this pipe line. The element 961 may be a meter gauge of well-known construction sold for use wherever liquids are to be metered, or it may constitute merely a measuring tank into which the liquid from the used storage tank 964 through pipe 359 into the chamber 353. This apparatus is described in detail and claimed in our copending application previously referred to, Serial No. 98,819, now Patent No. 2,150,899, issued March 21, 1939. The excess of heavy or parting liquid present in the mineral separation or parting section escapes over a weir (not shown) through pipe 358 and back to the used liquid storage tank 954.

As shown, there is a pump in the pipe line 359 as well as a valve, viii. The pump is designated by the letter P2. In pipe line 358 there is .positioned valve V8 for controlling the return of liquid to the used liquid storage tank 954. As shown, there is a pipe line l3, controlled by valve V25, extending between pipe line 359 and pipe line 358 for the purpose of equalizing pressure in the system and to facilitate the transfer of liquids therebetween, if desired. Liquid may be supplied to used liquid tank 954 from other sources via pipe line T23 and pump P3. For example, heavy liquid may be transferred through this pipe from the sludge trap and steam still described and claimed in our ccpending application Serial No. 253,081, filed March 20, 1939, this pipe being numbered I23 and described in that patent application. Similarly, the pipe line leading to the condenser 9 may be pipe line 89 which leads from the still (not shown) described in said copending application. Asshown, there is also provided an outlet pipe I] controlled by valve VlB for controlling the withdrawal of liquid from said used liquid tank 964 or for removing all liquid therefrom when it is desired to clean out :ie system.

While our improved liquid handling and storage system has been described in conjunction with our mineral separation apparatus and our improved sludge trap and still, it is not restricted to use only in conjunction with that apparatus but is of general utility wherever liquids are to be stored and transferred, such, for example, as where one component is to be separated from a mixture of liquids and that component transferred to a storage vessel designed particularly for receiving it or for utilizing it in the performance of operations utilizing flotation principles. As various changes might be made in our preferred embodiment, described herein merely as illustrative, which would still come within the scope of our invention, that invention is not to be restricted except as necessitated by the prior art and appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a system for handling liquids, a source supplying thereto a mixture of liquids, one of which liquids is to be recovered from other components of said mixture, a storage vessel for recovered liquid, a storage vessel for fresh liquid, a separate vessel which is adapted to receive amounts of liquid from time to time and to release amounts of liquid from time to time, as said amounts exceed the storage capacity of said separate vessel, mean for separating the liquid to be recovered from said mixture of liquids, means for conducting said liquid so recovered to said storage vessel for recovered liquids, means for transferring fresh liquid from said storage vessel for fresh liquid to said storage vessel for recovered liquid, means for measuring the amount of liquid so transferred, means for transferrin liquid from said storage vessel for recovered liquid to said third-named vessel, means for returning to said storage vessel for recovered liquid said amounts of liquid which are released in said third-named vessel, and means by-passing said recovered liquid storage vessel and providing communication between said liquid transfer means leading to said third-named vessel and said liquid returning means leading from said third-named vessel.

2. In a system for handling liquids, a source supplying thereto a mixture of liquids, one of which liquids is to be recovered from other components of said mixture, a tank for recovered liquid, a tank for fresh liquid, a tank for receiving said recovered liquid which tank, at various times, requires certain amounts of liquid and which tank, at various times, releases certain amounts of liquid to the extent that said amounts released are greater than the storage capacity of said tank, means for separating said liquid to be recovered from said mixture of liquids, a

conduit for conducting said recovered liquid, as.

desired, either to said recovered liquid tank or said fresh liquid tank, a conduit for transferring fresh liquid from said fresh liquid tank to said recovered liquid tank, means positioned in said last-named conduit for measuring the amount of liquid so transferred, a conduit for transferring liquid from said recovered liquid tank to said third-named tank, a conduit for returning liquids from said third-named tank to said recovered liquid tank, and a conduit by-passing said recovered liquid tank and providing communication between said conduit for transferring liquid to said third tank and said conduit for returning liquids from said third tank.

3. In a system for handling liquids, a source supplying thereto a mixture of liquids one of which liquids is to be recovered from other components of said mixture, a storage vessel for recovered liquid, a storage vessel for fresh liquid, means for separating the liquid to be recovered from said mixture of liquids, means for conducting said liquid so recovered to said storage vessel for recoveredliquid, means for transferring fresh liquid from said storage vessel for fresh liquid to said storage vessel for recovered liquid, means third vessel, and means for returning liquid released from said third vessel to said storage Vessel for recovered liquid.

HENRY L. ALEXANDER. HUBERT I. DU PONT. WILLING B. FOULKE. 

